ISLAMABAD: Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday decided to indict deputy registrar (security) of the IHC in connection with May 9 strike in which the representatives of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) allegedly stopped the lawyers from entering the court premises due to a strike called by the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC).

On June 10, Justice Sattar issued show cause notices to registrar Tahir Sabir and deputy registrar (security) Awaisul Hassan for not making proper arrangements for lawyers’ entry to the court during last month’s strike, after the bar association president denied to have stopped any lawyer from appearing in cases.

He was hearing an application of senior lawyer Naeem Bukhari seeking restoration of Gun and Country Club case after its dismissal due to non-appearance of counsel.

The strike call was issued by PBC and Islamabad Bar Council (IBC) to express solidarity with the legal fraternity after what they called disturbing events of Punjab police brutality against lawyers who were peacefully protesting the ‘unlawful divisions’ of the civil courts in Lahore.

Justice Sattar earlier questioned the PBC and the IBC authority to “prevent fellow lawyers and litigants from accessing justice, which to be dispensed by the courts, and enforce the same through physical obstruction of passaging to courts.”

The petitioner lawyer drew the attention of Justice Sattar to the reports that IHCBA president Riasat Ali Azad and other office-bearers had stopped his fellow lawyer from appearing before the court in a case related to Gun and Country Club, which was subsequently dismissed over non-appearance of the lawyer.

Mr Bukhari accused incumbent Islamabad High Court Bar Association president of “physically restraining” the lawyer from entering the court premises during the May 9 strike.

Justice Sattar when resumed the hearing on Thursday, IHC registrar submitted his reply before the judge. He, however, directed him to submit the reply afresh. The court sought suggestions from the PBC and the IBC to stop the practice of forcibly restraining the lawyers from attending the court hearings due to the successive strikes.

Interestingly, deputy registrar Hassan who was on leave on that ‘fateful’ day was found guilty and the judge decided to initiate contempt of court proceeding against him.

The court would indict him on July 5, when the matter would be taken up again.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2024